Research Methodology
Assignment I
Objective : Presentation and submission of research proposal along
with the questionnaire designed and nature and form of expected
findings.
Submitted byMrunmayee Shambharkar
Shalini Dwivedi
Table of Contents
Page
I.
Introduction
2
II.
Methodology
5
III.
Key Findings
8
IV.
Analysis and Observations
12
Conclusion
17
Recommendations
18
Limitations and Future Developments
19
Questionnaire
20
Bibliography
27
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
IX.
1
Introduction
To cope with the ever-changing technologies, the markets and consumers are rapidly
evolving from traditional, static, demographic-based criteria to more towards dynamic,
modern, mood, lifestyle and psycho graphic influences.
Fashion trend forecasting resources help predict trends in the fashion industry. Fashion &
trend forecasting is the prediction of mood, behavior and buying habits of the consumer at a
particular time of season. It is no longer a question of finding your markets or consumers by
age, geography or income, but looking into how and what they buy, based on their culture,
mood, beliefs, occasion & geographic locations, it is also dependent on the fashion cycle and
plays a major role in introductory phase of recurring fashion cycles.
With the help of our survey, we tried analysing the different patterns into the buying
behaviour of a consumer. We went on deeper to ask questions like what influences them on a
daily level that they choose to shop for themselves and when they do, what is it that helps
them choose the kind of apparel best suited for them.
While observing Fashion trends, we can say the following can be accounted forSeason > Target Market > Consumer > Colors > Fabrics > Silhouette > Texture > Usage
In current times, the kind of technological tools available to us can help make sense of
whatever data we collect. Many technological forecasting methods have been reported in
various forecast related books & mentioned in literature of many countries, and they have
been successfully applied widely. As trend forecasting results are mainly influenced by the
forecasting method used by the end user, it is of utmost importance to determine the
method that will be most appropriate to a business model we adopt. The main factors
affecting Fashion trend forecasting are:
Seasons:
Each season, the design and merchandising departments rely heavily on creating a new line
using the valuable data collected by professional agencies. Trend forecasts are based on
seasons Spring, Summer, Fall & Winter like we connect certain colors with holiday and
seasons. They expect to see earthy tones in fall season, jeweled colors for holidays, the pastels
2
of flowers in early spring, and refreshing white for the summer. All the manufacturers
include some of these standard colors in their line or collection planning. Since work on the
new line normally begins six months before the selling season, we need to focus on some
basic patterns, designs and colours that have been on trend for years and the reason for their
wide acceptance.
Market Intelligence:
In recent years, world growth has slowed and markets have matured or become more
protective. It is evident that the only way for many small & big companies to grow is at the
expense of their competitors. Large companies in Asia are now turning to market
intelligence for input into their strategic management system and decision making.
Conventional marketing research is increasingly viewed as being too narrowly focused on
tactical and operational issues. The large retail & export companies around the world are
now looking up the role of the Internet in market intelligence for inputs into their strategic
management system and decision making. It helps them determine their product acceptance
in the market; if acceptance is their market, as world renowned designer Karl Lagerfeld
remarked, There's no fashion if nobody buys it. Acceptance by a large number of people
makes the market important.
The marketing intelligence cycle whether its apparel or other business houses typically
consists of directing, collecting, compiling, cataloguing, analyzing and form filled up data by
consumers therefore making it easier for industry to create products which are market based.
With the questions asked in our trend analysis report, we tried to recognise if certain
influencers and celebrities helped normalise a particular trend by accepting it before it gets
launched into the market, and the behaviour of the people following them after.
Consumer Research:
Here we ask consumers directly about their buying preferences or can look into their buying
habits over a period of time. Consumer reactions are recorded and documented to find
preferences for certain garments or accessories, sizes or colors and so on or products to fit
specific consumer tastes. Therefore the survey includes questions about life-style, fashion
3
preference, income, and shopping habits. These questions help us obtain information by
simply asking customers, what they would like to buy, what styles they prefer that are
currently available and what changes in merchandise they want, but cannot find.
The industry overall has one purpose, i.e. to provide a desirable and appealing product to
satisfy customer needs, demands or aspire to have. When successful, this chain results in a
sale, because this chain is the integral part of the entire process. Every forecast begins with
the consumer, by observing the consumer's needs to the marketplace and in unexpected
ways the consumer adjusts the marketplace to his lifestyle and preferences. Consumer
research figures are critical & of utmost importance in decisions about product development,
marketing and retailing.
4
Methodology
Research Approach:
➢ Inductive approach was adopted, to analyse specific observations to broad
generalizations.
➢ A qualitative phenomenological research, for observing the recent trends and buying
behaviour among corporate consumers.
Research Design:
➢ Explanatory research design was followed with the aim to study the problem in
greater depth and understand the phenomenon efficiently.
Sampling:
➢ Population : Students enrolled at Pune University { from variety of streams }.
➢ Target Population : 100 men & women
➢ Age : There were three different age groups
a. 20-30
b. 30-40
c. 40-50
➢ Sample size : 99 respondents
➢ Sampling technique : Non-Probability Convenience Sampling
The survey consists of a total of 99 submitted forms. All sample surveys are subject to
possible sampling error; that is, the results may differ from those which would be obtained if
the entire population under study were interviewed.
Questionnaire and Interviewing:
A total of 21 questions were drafted and then reviewed by our mentor before sending it to
our respondents.
5
Materials & Method:
➢ To collect these data, a mixed method approach was used 100 and the participants
were selected using some digital tools, such as email, social media (Facebook,
Instagram), and Whatsapp.
➢ The methodology used is applicable when there are both qualitative and quantitative
data to collect and analyze, with an integration of distinctive methodologies.
➢ The survey was created using Google Module, a useful and free tool to create and
manage surveys, questionnaires, multiple-choice tests, quizzes, and much more.
➢ Some questions were elaborated using the five-point Likert scale.
➢ Participants were invited to complete a form concerning the following topics, divided
in five blocks:
1. General information from respondents
2. Fashion product characteristics
3. Online Shopping
4. Sustainable fashion.
➢ Due to the target of the work, the exact age factor was employed, instead of the
generational terms (Millennials or Generation Y, Generation X, and Generation Z)
in order to identify the relevant part of the respondents for the subsequent analysis.
➢ In this way it was possible to correctly divide the sample into different age groups.
➢ Descriptive Research Question was used to provide a simple summary, through
some techniques, of the sample and the measurements collected.
6
Professions of age groups:
7
Key Findings
The survey of 99 people across different colleges and age groups was done from March 20 to
April 24 and asked people dozens of questions on their stance towards different fashion
trends. This section provides an overview and summary of key analytical points of the survey.
As we found in this research, a total of 52.5% people shopped monthly mostly online or at
physical stores. Almost 6% of the people preferred shopping from small markets and thrift
stores that offer clothes at cheaper prices.
At the moment, people are not generally concerned about the effects of fast fashion and how
it can directly influence the environment. But they do possess a very basic understanding of
ethical fashion and understand their role while buying apparel. While we can observe that
on one hand they prefer to shop frequently, they also choose whether the kind of apparel
they shop will affect the working conditions, fair trade, sustainable production etc.
Our data also revealed that almost 44.4% of people chose apparel according to the current
trends in the market as compared to solids, which was an option for 34.3%. It also identified
how brands played a major role while shopping for apparel. This can help us analyse another
sector, which is, if marketing strategies are helping brands and the kind they should be
adopting.
Our analysis of the survey data identifies key points about consumer behaviour towards
sustainability, what influences them to go shop and the importance of different factors of
comfort and quality while shopping.
➢ It was observed that 89.9% of the people were between the age group 20-30
While we wanted to account for all the age groups equally, due to the limited
accessibility due to Covid, we reached out to all the students we could. In the age
groups, 30-40 and 40-50 we had 5.1% of the people filling out our forms each. It is also
to be considered that the age groups have the bracket as: 20-30>20-29 ; 30-40>30-39 ;
40-50>40-49.
8
➢ Most people shop at least once a month online
Almost 52.5% of people shop once a month whereas 26.3% people once in three
months. The two major sources to shop were either online(52.5%) or physical stores.
With wide usage of the internet, new apps and door to door delivery, online shopping
has become a very common way.
With online shopping, there is more data available for the brand to determine the
kind of apparel consumers bought. Not only that, it is a good way for websites to
observe how much time every consumer spent on their website, which part of the
website had more traffic, what kind of products the customer added to the cart but
did not go through with. Apart from that, various social media channels play a huge
role in influencing customers to buy from showing ads to sending their products to
their favourite celebrity.
➢ People care about their buying impact
52.5% of the people answered they would prefer buying ethical fashion apparel at a
little higher cost. There have been measures to improve upon ethical production by
giving workers a fair wage as well as including their names in the final product as to
who created the garment. While this is a great initiative, it also tells us how people
who are buying and promoting these products care about the waste they are causing
to the environment.
Brands can identify with this and help create a better society where sustainability and
recycling of apparel does not burn a hole in the consumers pockets. While this data
tells us that people would prefer sustainable materials over those causing harm,
brands and companies need to come up with better and cheaper ways to recycle
clothes and incorporate sustainability into their selling mantras.
➢ Although most people shopped according to trends, people also preferred solid
colours while shopping
Almost 44.4% respondents got solid colours when shopping. While trends need to be
kept in mind, solid colours never go out of style and are a safe sale for brands to sell.
9% of the respondents also preferred stripes while shopping. While the data tells us
that the availability of these patterns is a must, experimentation with the current
9
market also has to be kept in mind.
➢ Brands played a major role while shopping
66.7% respondents shopped from brands they already knew and had heard of. This
could give already existing brands an edge over a new one but due to current
marketing strategies, it has become easier for brands to make themselves familiar
with their consumers.
Brands can also try to understand their customers better by regularly sending them
surveys that help them determine where they lag in terms of products and
serviceability.
➢ Respondents preferred cool colours more
Twice the respondents choose cool colours over warm. Cool colours are a variation of
green, blue and purple whereas warm colours are yellow, red and orange. This could
give a huge insight into the hues that can be used by various brands.
➢ Fashion Accessories are important while shopping for apparel
74% respondents got fashion accessories like belts, shoes, bags, watches, eyewear etc
regularly along with apparel. In fact 7% of people got accessories almost once a
month rather than apparel.
➢ Quality is as important as price
While 59% respondents considered both the aspects while shopping, a stark 36%
preferred quality over price. While price can be an important factor, the build of the
material is as important, and in some cases even more.
➢ Most people preferred more than one opinion while shopping
When faced with a difficult question, or product choice, the internet is often the first
place many people turn to for research and opinions. The majority of respondents (83
percent), seek out opinions from others before purchasing. Online user review sites
are the most popular resource for opinion-seekers in this age range while seekers aged
35+ are more likely to put their trust in independent review sites.
Although online reviews can be influential, personal recommendations from friends
10
and family still trump reviews from unknown contacts. A study shows that
respondents agreed that they would try a product with negative online reviews, if
recommended by someone they know, though consumers remain skeptical of those
that look too good to be true. Unsurprisingly, online reviews are the most impactful
for consumers aged 20-30, likely the most tech-savvy age group. However, overall,
data shows that the majority of respondents age 20-50 agree that online reviews help
in their decision making process.
➢ Sustainable clothing is a way to change the world
Sustainability sets the focus on the future. Green fashion is contributing to keep the
planet clean and a better place to live. Consumers love green clothing with minimal
effect on the environment. The products made from renewable resources are counted
as green. Whereas, clean implies – natural or synthetic, which are not harmful to our
health. Non-toxic products are free from ingredients. A stark 94% of the respondents
believed that sustainability is the way to go and they would prefer sustainable apparel
over regular ones.
11
Analysis & Observations
From the above chart, 36.3% of people within the age group 20-30 choose to follow the
ongoing trends whereas 33.3% of the people chose to stick to solid colours while shopping.
This means that the production of solid colours for a new brand is the safest way to gain
revenue.
In the age group 30-40, 4% of the people preferred shopping on trends where 1% shopped for
solids.
For the ages 40-50, 4% also preferred shopping on trends whereas 1% for stripes
12
It was observed that 75% percent of the people preferred comfortable clothes where 5% and
6% preferred baggy and extra fitted instead. What can be concluded from this data is that a
more range of sizes must be available for people as the majority within all the age groups
choose comfort and relaxed as their fits. Currently, we have a very limited number of sizes
ranging from XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL that follow the size from UK standards. This data
suggests that if a brand works up on getting more fitted and comfortable sizes for Indian
Apparels, they have a better chance at having a larger customer base. This data can be
verified by the table given below.
13
When shopping for apparel 73% of the people regarded Comfort as the most important
factor. It was then followed by quality of materials which was chosen by 66% of the people as
very important. The functionality of the apparel also played an important role in the decision
making. From thereon, Price, Style, Brand and newness mattered. These factors can be given
importance on the following basis:
Comfort> Quality> Functionality> Price> Style> Price> Durability> Brand> Newness
While we had a limited population, it can be said that this data is true for the age group
20-30 and their preference while shopping. Although when moving in a larger data set, a
more thorough understanding of the population is made.
39% of the people between the age group 20-30, choose to shop more than Rs1000 at a time
whereas 31% over Rs500. This suggests that this age group does not like to spend more than
Rs1000 on one or two apparel items. While respondents in the previous study mention they
would prefer quality over price, it can be said that the price of the apparel does come into
account.
14
Respondents who prefer Ethical Fashion
Pie Chart Analysis with respect to different age groups
15
In the pie chart analysis , respondents who
prefer ethical fashion are significantly
changing , within the change of age groups.
It can be observed that the age group
(20-30) & (40-50) are aware of ethical
fashion and also the laws which
brands/industries need to follow.
Respondents who are conscious of
Sustainability & 3Rs principle
It was observed that 47.2% of the
respondents from the age group (20-30)
are mindful about sustainability while
shopping and also 40.4% of the
respondents choose to upcycle their
apparels. From this we can conclude that
the apparel trends in the future might be
more sustainable which would not only promote slow fashion but also protect the
environment.
16
Conclusion
After analyzing the main fashion trends from 2018 to the present, it is possible to highlight
those destined to persist in the coming years: the adoption of sustainability practices among
fashion players, attention to the sustainability of the entire value chain, continuous
improvement of customer service provided by digital platforms, increased automation of
production processes.
In recent years, more and more attention has been paid to the issues of environmental
sustainability by Governments, consumers, and companies. The textile sector has been the
subject of heavy criticism connected to its environmental impacts and human health arising
from residues of substances on products and production processes associated with it.
Attention to the ecological dimension is expressed in reducing the waste of natural
resources, reducing production costs, reducing global warming, and paying attention to the
consequences of overpopulation, containing the toxicity of certain industrial products, and
reducing air and water pollution.
According to the analyses carried out, a positive trend clearly emerged for the future; the
answers provided by respondents represent hope for an increase in the ethical approaches to
business and in the adoption of sustainable strategies and practices in the fashion industry.
The results are strictly consistent with the literature related to the topic analyzed in the
paper; in fact, considering Generation Z as a benchmark (due to the number of respondents
which composed the sample), it was analyzed how the answers related to these topics
present differences.
Considering the role of the circular economy, fashion companies can implement a circular
policy by choosing the most suitable business model. It is important not to forget the
importance of the design of fashion products that can be disassembled, the conception of the
product as a service, the use of available resources, the recovery, reuse, and extension of the
product life cycle.
The survey highlighted the growing attention that the younger generations today are paying
to sustainability and circular economy, which leads to the conclusion that for the fashion
market these factors are becoming a strategic element of great importance and a source of
17
long-lasting competitive advantage. The increased sensitivity of consumers toward the
questions related to sustainability causes fashion brands to improve their reputation by
encompassing social responsibility in their value proposal. The changed competitive context
in which companies find themselves operating inevitably leads sustainability to become a
powerful driver of innovation. This perspective, in a phase of growing affirmation, reflects
the need for fashion companies to redirect their strategic approach toward transforming
social responsibility and sustainability into a competitive opportunity to benefit both the
individual companies and the overall sector. These trends open interesting research
opportunities under the profile of the analysis of strategic behavior and emerging new
business models in this sector, even today barely investigated by management literature. In
this sense, the present study aimed to offer a first, albeit embryonic, innovative contribution
to management studies on a topic currently little investigated by the literature.
18
Recommendations
The following recommendations are offered based on the work accomplished during this
survey and on the conclusions given previously:
1. Implementation for Sustainability- Sustainability needs to engage: 1. Students:
Providing knowledge about sustainability and the relation to fashion to Fashion
design-related students from universities, since they will be the front force of the
market in the next few years. 2. Companies: Lectures in industry events and
conferences and through tailor-made workshops and individual advisory to help
fashion and textile companies align their sustainable initiatives. 3. Consumers:
Engaging with consumers is crucial to the realization of sustainable initiatives.
Consumers will be engaged through lectures and exhibitions open for the public.
2. Database for trend research- Research in databases has played a vital role in
developing information system technology and also the outcome of this research has
been very successful resulting in great potential for industry. The database industry is
generating billions of dollars of business annually. Better tools need to be applied for
the extraction of valuable data that is taken from websites of different brands. Not
only will this help the brands but will also help better understand consumers and
cater to their needs.
3. A sizing system for India- With more people preferring a Comfort and Relaxed size
and fit, we need a better size system for India as compared to currently the one in use.
There needs to be a standardized size chart for clothing in India. Both international
and homegrown brands operating in the country have so far used measurements from
the US or the UK for garments, such as “Small", “Medium" and “Large"; only a few
brands used their own size charts. However, the differential sizing standards caused
confusion for Indian body types, which have significant anthropometric differences
with Western standards in terms of height, weight or specific measurements of body
parts such as the shoulders and bust.
19
4. Recommendation System- The data showed that most people preferred a second
opinion while shopping, a recommendation system in online stores would help
brands a long way. With the boom of the internet now, and people not updated with
the trends in the market, a recommendation system can help them know which
colours are in trend in the market right now and what other people are buying with
their garments. It can also read on their previous preferences and suggest them
options that would be best suited according to their taste.
20
Limitations and Future Developments
Our results are subject to certain research limitations, firstly due to the digital tools
employed. The concept of a standardized survey administered only online certainly limited
the participation of a relevant number of older generations. Nonetheless, the primary
respondents, due to the age, were students or young people. For this reason, the analyzed
sample was unbalanced and it forced us to focus most of the analysis on the so-called
Generation Z, influencing our conclusions.
It is clear to all authors that the numerical differences between Generation Z and the rest of
the sample are relevant. We can only underline, however, according to the central limit
theorem (concerning the normality of the data), that the numerosity was greater than 100.
For this reason, we believe that the results of this test can, however, be considered as quite
consistent. Therefore, future research should focus on increasing the respondent sample size
using different means of communication, not only via social network and internet, to define
this phenomenon in a wider way, considering also other parts of the population. From a
geographical point of view, it will be possible to make some comparison with the concept of
the fashion industry and circular economy with samples from other countries, paying
attention to their representativeness.
21
Questionnaire
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
Bibliography
1. https://www.fibre2fashion.com/industry-article/3091/pink-is-out-but-blue-is-in-unders
tanding-fashion-trend-forecasting
2. https://www.modares.ac.ir/uploads/Agr.Oth.Lib.17.pdf
3. https://www.cbd.int/cepa/toolkit/2008/doc/Communication%20oceans_final_report.pd
f
4. https://www.healthknowledge.org.uk/public-health-textbook/research-methods/1a-epi
demiology/methods-of-sampling-population
5. https://www.qgso.qld.gov.au/issues/671/presenting-survey-results-report-writing.pdf
6. https://www.fibre2fashion.com/industry-article/8520/5-ways-to-make-fashion-industry
-more-sustainable-in-the-year-2020#:~:text=Not%20only%20consumers%2C%20but%
20even,Recycle%2C%20Repurpose%2C%20and%20Reinvent.&text=This%20way%2C
%20the%20fashion%20industry,make%20the%20industry%20more%20sustainable.
7. https://www.mintel.com/press-centre/social-and-lifestyle/seven-in-10-americans-seek-o
ut-opinions-before-making-purchases
8. https://luxiders.com/fashions-future-the-sustainable-development-goals/
9. https://libguides.library.kent.edu/c.php?g=278163&p=1853989
10. The data for the survey done can be found herehttps://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1xZMKv95KttnzaeQYeLFAl2zY10bTLPQVn6
UguFByRi8/edit?usp=sharing
29